St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-15
The Defendant in the Divorce Case Oocu-
pies the Witness Chair for an
Entire Day,
Telling the Story Of her Relations With
Gravius and With Her
Husband.
MT. Grayfus, She Says, Was the Only
Friend In Whom She Could
Confide,
For Her Husband Was Cross and Ugly
to Her. Under Parasol in
Hammock.

The Overton divorce case was resumed
before Judge Simons yesterday. Mrs. Over
ton occupied the witness stand all day. the
forenoon being devoted to direct examina-
ton by Attorney Erwin and the afternoon
to cross examination by Attorney O'Brien,
concluding with redirect examination by
MI Erwin. Mrs. Overton flatly denied her
husbands charges of adultery, and contra
dicted the damaging testimony of other
witnesses.
She denied that she said, when Overton en-
tered the room where she and Gravus were,
on the night of Nov. 20, ''Oh, ms God! papa,
IL never do it again." and never answered
her husband, when he accused her of guilt,
with the evasive reply. Bah. wouldn't you
like to KNOW She had said she would get Il
divorce and marry Gravius simply for the
purpose Of plaguing her husband, whose
manner was extremely irritable. Gravius,
she stated, was never at her house later
than midnight, and her lights were never
used as signals. He always rang the bell be-
fore being admitted. She admitted to going
out walking and riding with Gravius and
allowing him to come and see her, for the
reason that she had nobody else in the world
IN whom to conf1de, aud he was a friend to
her, to her children and to her sister, always
Kind and considerable, while her husband was
cross TO her and Indifferent to her Illness On
the day Mr.. Overton started to go to Chicago
she accompanied her husband to the depot,
and Mr.. Gfavius escorted her home. The next
night he called at her invitation, and while
they were sitting in the room her husband
and Detective Cleveland came in the former
saying, Now, I've got you.'' In the summer
of 1885, during a talk with her husband, he
insisted upon separation. She inquired
what was the matter, and her husband ac
cused her of infioelity. He said one of the
children did hnlOpO n him a
Mr.. Gravius was its father and he called her
insane. He had several times called her
lewd woman and a street-walker. Gravius
and herself used to sit together in the ham
mock, but they did not cover themselves with
an umbrella.
TT WAS A PARASOI,
and neither of them lay in the hammock
When she was ill she was obliged to call upon
Mr. Gravius for services, because her hus-
band Was SO cross and unaccommodating At
times during her illness, when the doctor had
stated that she was unable to comply with his
desires, Mr.. Overton would insist and compel
her to do so, to the great injury of her health
MIR. Gravius became an inmate OF their house
with her husbands consent. and accom-
panied her home with MIR. Oyerton's consent
and approval
This is the substance of the direct ex-
animation. The croSS-eXamination devel-
oped the following statement:
AT my own request Mr.. Gravius called; he
had come several times before Mr. Overton
objected. He was as much interested in the
children as in me. Soon the objections of
Mr. Overton ceased. He was an inmate of
our house from May 1, 1882, until December
but he was not at home for about nine weeks
When went East he went away also. He
came back about two weeks after | did
When my children, my nephew and myself
became sick Mr.. Overton was cross and had
nobody else but Mr.. Gravius to assist me- I
most assuredy did find myself, after nv hus-
bands neglect in need of some person to
help me. My husband did not make the
slightest objection to Mr.. Gravius becoming
an inmate OF our house when we moy ed up
on the hill. He came about week after we
moved. DR.. Walther attended me when l
was sick from paint poison from October I'M
showed consid cradle attention TO me.
My husband often said he would
never pay another doctors bill
When Mr.. Overton wouldn't go for the n:edi-
cine l sent Mr.. GraFius-I didn't want to
keep the children home from school, My Sis
ter came in December, 1884, and stayed until
March, 1885. l suffered a miscarriage in
July, 1886. DR.. Routh attended me. The
miscarriage was certainly not produced by
myself. never told Mrs. Fanny Snyde, that
l took medicine for that purpose. After 1
got so could sit up and walk, my husband
accused me of infidelity. He was all the
time ugly with me about the miscarriage.
showing indifferent attention. Shortly after
was taken sick he told me there must be a
separation, and he gave no reason When he
accused me of impropriety with Mr.. Gravius
was astonished. There was not one par
ticle of foundation for the charge, Mr.. Over
ton always wanted to retire early, and he
wanted everybody to 90 to bed at the same
time. couldn't sleep, and 1 did not want to
retire until $3.50 p. IN. or 10 p. N. Mr.. Grayius
remained mostly at home. He never took me
to any public places. He used to sit up with
me in the hammock during summer mornings.
We were never covered up so that nothing.
but our feet could be seen. ! have sat with
my husband In the hammock few times-he
was not much of man to
SIT IN A HAMMOCK.
The first knew about the alleged incident
of Sept. IA, 1885. was when next dav Mr.
Gravius told me man had been to him for
money to keep something secret. There were
never any improper relations between myself
and Mr.. Gravius. When my husband looked
into my eyes he said he believed his accusa-
ton against me was false. He sobbed and
cried and threw himself against the side of
the house and asked how he should be able to
let me go away, still he persisted in sending
me away. Before the children he promised
that l should return in two months. j could
not love my husband under the circum-
stances. Mr.. Gravius sent me the money to
come home. Mr.. GraviuS did come to see me
at Mrs. Chase's at White Bear. He stopped
at the Chateaugay. went to Taylor's Falls
on Saturday; he came on Sunday; we both
left Taylor's Falls together on Monday. get
off at White Bear. and came into St. Paul on
the next train. / had an object in that.
After returned home l did not particularly
understand that was not to have any COM
munication with Mr.. Gravius. ] did COM
municate with him simply TO bother my hus-
band.
Mrs. Overton testified very clearly, al
though it was very apparent that Mr.
O'Brien endeavored hard to trap her. SIC
said She went with Mr.. Gravius because he
was friend, and she did not think she
if she loved Mr.. Gravius, then
she replied, Most assuredly, mop with
some apparent Indignation. She replied with
monosyllabic mo" to the questions did
Mr.. Gravius ever put his arms around yon?''
Did you ever kiss Mr. Graviuse" did
Mr.. Gravius ever kiss you?" Mr.. O'Brien
tried to work in her complaint as evidence
of impeachment to prove a contradiction
between the statements that Mr.. Overton
had been cruel to her over two years and
over seven years, but an objection was sus-
tanned. The witness said her husband had
called her Street-walker one night when
she had been to prayer meeting. when they
lived on Saltwater street, and that he had
called her other vile names in the presence
of his nephew and before Stanley Chase.
In redirect examination which concluded
yesterdays proceedings, she was given
chance to vindicate herself for going with
Mr.. GraviuS against her husbands wishes
on the ground that he was the only friend
she had to confide her troubles to. and since
her husband had already charged hnr with